Poison-tablet



UNITED srrariis PATENT oFFioE;

CHARLES T. DAVIS,

OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR HENRIETTA R. DAVIS.

POISON-TABLET.

No Drawing.

To all whom. it may concern:

Be it known that 1, CHARLES T. Davis, a citizen of the .United States,residing at Brooklyn,'New York city, in the county of Kings and State ofNew York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Poison- Tablets,of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to pharmaceutical and chemical tablets and pills,and particularly to poison tablets having means for indicating theirnature and for preventing injury if taken accidentally.

My object is to provide a tablet having a protective coating which willprevent the tablet body from being attacked by the fluids of thealimentary tract during passage therethrough if swallowed by accident,and yet sufiiciently frangible to permit the tablet to be readily brokento expose the chemical content or tablet body to a solvent.

A further object is to combine such protective coating with a repulsivetasting substance to prevent accidental swallowing. Further, I mayprovide a distinctive coloring as an additional precaution.

A further object is to provide a coating for the tablet capable ofcarrying a nonacid or chemically inert dye. I also may provide a coatingwhich can be dissolved in a common solvent but is insoluble in thefluids of the alimentary tract.

Another object is the provision of a coating soluble in a common solventbut sufliciently impermeable to prevent deliquescence on contact withatmospheric or other moisture.

. and indigestible, substance,

My invention consists of a tablet body which may be of irritant orpoisonous nature, such as is commonly used for germicidal purposes, asfor instance a preparation of antiseptic and germicidal solutions, onecommon example b'ein the usual bichlorid of mercury tablet. pon suchtablets I place a protective coating, composed of a relativelyfrangible, though impermeable and preferably one that can be melted andsprayed on the tablets during t bling, in theusual way for coatingtablets, or one capableof being applied while in a viscose or plasticcondition. I may, for instance, use a wax, such as paraffin, beeswax, orcanauba wax; cellulose products, such as collodion; or rosin. These maybe used separately or in any de- Specification of Letters Patent. latented Blur. 30, 1920. Application filed June 18, 1919. Serial No.305,174. I

sired combination; or any, other substance may be used that possessesthe requisite qualifications and which may be foundbetor non-volatile,coating of bitter or repulsive tasting substance, such for instance asbitter aloes This coating may be placed outside of the impermeablecoating, or the bitter or repulsive substance may be incorporated withthe impermeable coating.

The tablet is preferably given adistinctive coloring to indicate itsnature, which may be the usual blue employed to indicate'poison tablets,or any other distinctive color. The dye may be incorporated either inthe tablet body or in the coatings, but preferably is carried by one orboth of the coatings. It

is also desirable to use a non-acid or chemically inert dye which doesnot tend to rust surgical instruments when the tablet is used to make abactericidal solution for sterilizing the instruments. In ordinarygermicidal tablets, where the dye is incorporated with the tablet, it isoften necessary to use an acid dye or a dye that is chemically active;but the incorporation of the dye in the coating of my tablet makespossible the use of non-acid or inert dyes therein. The dye is alsopreferably soluble in the same medium as the tablet, for the purpose ofproducing a characteristic color in the solution.

In use, the color serves as a primary warning or protection againstaccidentally taking the tablet. The disagreeable taste affords a furtherand substantial protection if the tablet is accidentally taken into themouth, clearly indicating the nature of the tablet and producing a verystrong involuntary or spontaneous impulse to expel it. This protectionis of course particularly valuable when the tablets are handled in thedark. If, in spite of these precautions, the tablet should be swallowed,the protective or impermeable covering will permit it to pass completelythrough the alimentary tract without the exposure of the contents.

lVhen a tablet isto be used to make an antiseptic or germicidalsolution, it is broken before being dropped into the solvent, thusexposing the soluble tablet body, the fragile impermeable coatingpermitting it to be easily.v broken. ,However, the impermeable coatingmay be made of a substance soluble 'mentary tract. I Y

3. A pharmaceuticalpreparation suitable in a particular solvent, such asalcohol,

I though insoluble in the fluids ofthevalimentary tract. and preferablyinsoluble in water. In such a case it would be unnecessary to break thetablet it into the solvent.

While I have found my invention to be useful with tablets ofyariouskinds, it is particularly useful in connection -with germicidal tabletscontaining potassiummercuric-iodid, such as is disclosed in my PatentNo. 1,276,119. In this tablet, and

other germicidal tablets, it is the practice to combine .the fundamentalchemical used with a relatively large quantity of a stabiliz- *ingsubstance, such as sodium chlorid or common salt, to preventdcliquescence. This produces a tablet much larger .than would otherwisebe necessary, and the impermeable coating makes possible the use of thegermicidal substance alone,omitting the stabilizer, resulting inconsiderable economy 1n manufacture and in a much smaller tablet ofequal strength.

Further, the thorough protection against deliquescence facilitates theinclosure of such tablets with articles which might other wisebe-da-magedthereby, such as sutures.

In addition to the obvious value of this invention for saving humanlives through the prevention of accidental poisoning, its extremepracticability becomes apparent when it is pointed out that thecoatingsof the tablets may be applied through the use p of the standardmachinery and apparatus already employed by practically. allmanufacturers of pharmaceutical tablets; and that, by virtue of theefliciency of the protective or safety coatings, itwill no longer beessential to manufacture poisonous tablet's'in square, oblong, coflin orother dis,- tinctive shapes; these ualifications rendering practicablethe wi espread practice of the invention by various manufacturers, andat a low manufacturing cost.

While the form of my invention, which I have herein disclosed, is thepreferred form, it is obvious that alterations and changes may be madetherein within the scope of the appended claims Without departing fromthe spirit of the invention.

What I claim is r V 1. A poison tablet or pill having a frangiblecoating, impermeable to thefluids of the alimentary tract.

2. A poisonous tablet having a frangible I before' dropping ,permeableto the fluids of coating insoluble in the fluids of the alii 4. A tablethaving'a coating insoluble in the fluids of the alimentarytract but soluble in alcohol.

5. A poison tablet or pill containing a deliquescent substance having acoating imthe alimentary tract.

6. A tablet or pill containing potassiumm-ercuric-iodid' and having acoating impermeable to the fluids of the alimentary tract. j' a I 1 7. Atablet or' pill containing a deliquescent substance having animpermeable coating containing a hydrocarbon substance.

8. A tablet. or pill containing a deliquescent substance having acoating of an impermeable substance hquefying at a temperature suitablefor the application of the coating by spraying;

. 9. A pharmaceutical tablet or pill having \a coating impermeable to.the fluids of the alimentary tract, said coating carrying a repulsivetasting substance.

10. A pharmaceutical tablet or-pill having a coating impermeable to thefluids of the alimentary tract, and a second coating carrying arepulsive tasting substance.

11. A pharmaceutical-tablet or pill having a coating impermeable to thefluids of the alimentary tract, and carried by said coating. i

12. A pharmaceutical tablet or pill having a coating impermeableto thefluids ofthe alimentary tract and non-aci d coloring matter carriedby'the coating." g 1 13. A pharmaceutical tablet or'pill hav ing acoating impermeable to the fluids of the alimentary tract, and an outercoating carrying coloring matter. F

14. A pharmaceutical tablet or pill having a coating impermea ile t0 thefluids of the alimentary tract, and a repulsive tasting outer coatingcarrying coloring matter. In testimony whereof I have hereunto set myhand in presence of two subscribing witnesses. i

' u 1 CHARLES T. DAVISLI Witnesses .E. C. PIERSON, BENJ. F. HmsoH.

coloring matter

